Prediction of eye and skin color in diverse populations using seven SNPs

Abstract An essential component in identifying human remains is the documentation of the decedent's visible characteristics, such as eye, hair and skin color. However, if a decedent is decomposed or only skeletal remains are found, this critical, visibly identifying information is lost. It woul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forensic science international : genetics 2011-11, Vol.5 (5), p.472-478
Main Authors: Spichenok, Olga, Budimlija, Zoran M, Mitchell, Adele A, Jenny, Andreas, Kovacevic, Lejla, Marjanovic, Damir, Caragine, Theresa, Prinz, Mechthild, Wurmbach, Elisa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Base Sequence
DNA - genetics
Eye Color - genetics
Genetics, Population
Humans
Molecular Sequence Data
Pathology
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Skin Pigmentation - genetics
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Summary:Abstract An essential component in identifying human remains is the documentation of the decedent's visible characteristics, such as eye, hair and skin color. However, if a decedent is decomposed or only skeletal remains are found, this critical, visibly identifying information is lost. It would be beneficial to use genetic information to reveal these visible characteristics. In this study, seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), located in and nearby genes known for their important role in pigmentation, were validated on 554 samples, donated from non-related individuals of various populations. Six SNPs were used in predicting the eye color of an individual, and all seven were used to describe the skin coloration. The outcome revealed that these markers can be applied to all populations with very low error rates. However, the call-rate to determine the skin coloration varied between populations, demonstrating its complexity. Overall, these results prove the importance of these seven SNPs for potential forensic tests.
ISSN:1872-4973
1878-0326
DOI:10.1016/j.fsigen.2010.10.005